Game developers, gamers descend on Sacramento for Indie Arcade

The Sacramento Indie Arcade promises to be a gamer’s paradise Saturday as board game and video game enthusiasts come together for the group’s fourth annual event in West Sacramento.

More than 40 digital and tabletop game developers will show off their wares for people to play, and attendees can compete in a Street Fighter video game tournament. Speakers and panelists will address topics such as basic coding skills and game development strategies throughout the day-long event.

“This is a great opportunity for people to have fun and enjoy what local developers have for the market,” said Gabriel Gutierrez, an organizer of the annual event.

Originally founded to bring together the local community of video game and board game developers, the Sacramento Indie Arcade has helped foster growth of professional game development in the region by allowing developers to share ideas and form friendships at the arcade, Gutierrez said.

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Chris Sprague, creator of tCubed, a three-dimensional board game similar to tic-tac-toe and a speaker at this year’s event, said the convention has helped his business and allowed him to make connections within the gaming community.

“Since the last arcade, tCubed has been sold to hundreds of customers and is on pace to generate tens of thousands of dollars in revenue within 18 months of launching,” Sprague said. “We believe that SIA is a must-attend event for gaming studios in northern California.”

The annual event has seen a steady success in attracting developers and gamers. Attendance more than doubled last year from the arcade’s debut in 2014. The 2017 event has attracted game makers from across the U.S. and one from Singapore with a game called Stardrop.

In Stardrop, players explore derelict spaceships and travel across the universe on missions. Aryn Rozelle, the game’s main voice actress from Roseville, will be on hand to invite people to try out a demo version.

Presented by West Sacramento Parks and Recreation in partnership with Nascent Games and the International Game Developers Association’s Sacramento Chapter, the Sacramento Indie Arcade is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday at the West Sacramento Community Center, 1075 West Capitol Ave.